Isiolo Governor Guyo Faces Impeachment as All 17 MCAs Sign Removal Petition

ISIOLO, Kenya – Isiolo Governor Abdi Ibrahim Guyo is staring at the possibility of becoming the latest county chief to be ousted from office after all 17 Members of the County Assembly unanimously signed a petition seeking his removal from office.

The impeachment motion, tabled on Monday evening, is scheduled for debate next Tuesday as the county assembly moves to address what legislators describe as failed leadership and gross misconduct by the governor.

The impeachment push has gained momentum following widespread condemnation of Governor Guyo’s controversial remarks against Senator Fatuma Dullo during Madaraka Day celebrations at Oldonyiro.

The governor made sexually suggestive and disparaging comments about the senator’s personal life while dismissing her calls for accountability in county spending.

“I want to tell Senator Fatuma, you have set an expensive lifestyle of having relationships with young men, deal with your situation. Isiolo money is for development, not for sustaining young men,” Guyo said during the public event.

The National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) has strongly condemned the remarks, with Chairperson Rehema Jaldesa describing them as “degrading and unconstitutional.”

“These statements are unbecoming of a public officer and offend the spirit and letter of Chapter Six of the Constitution on leadership and integrity,” Jaldesa stated. “They humiliate, degrade and intimidate women in leadership and public service.”

Beyond the gender-based controversy, the governor is also facing scrutiny over a leaked county payroll that revealed over 1,600 employees, raising serious concerns about ghost workers and nepotism in the county government.

“A glance at the county executive payroll has revealed unpleasant happenings where laws on recruitment have been thrown out of the window and replaced with jungle law where the governor calls the shots,” said Burat MCA Nicholas Lorot.

The revelation has intensified calls for accountability, with legislators arguing that the county’s hiring practices have been compromised under Guyo’s leadership.

The governor’s sexist tirade has sparked outrage among women leaders across the country, with many calling for legal action and sanctions.

The Kenya Women Senators Association (Kewosa) has demanded that Guyo be declared unfit to hold office under Chapter Six of the Constitution.

“This is a blatant attempt to frustrate, demean and intimidate Senator Dullo and it must be called out for what it is,” said Kewosa chair Veronica Maina

“These remarks perpetuate dangerous stereotypes with the aim of discouraging women’s participation in public life.”

Local women leaders, led by Asmai Hamo, have vowed to boycott all official meetings with the governor until he issues a public apology and have threatened legal action if he fails to retract his statements.

The impeachment motion comes at a time when Governor Guyo’s administration is under intense pressure from multiple fronts.

Senator Dullo has been a vocal critic of the county government, particularly over alleged misappropriation of funds and corruption.

The tension between the two leaders reached a boiling point during a recent Senate County Public Accounts Committee meeting, where Dullo accused Guyo of lying under oath about the number of advisers in the county.

“We have given the governor enough time to deliver for the people of Isiolo. However, he has failed on his mandate, and as the oversight body, we have come out to call out this administration,” said Cherab MCA Halima Abgudho.

While County Secretary Dadhe Boru has dismissed the payroll leak as “politically motivated,” he confirmed that investigations are ongoing to verify the authenticity of the document.

Deputy Governor James Lowasa has also defended the administration, but the unified stance of all 17 MCAs suggests that Guyo’s political survival hangs in the balance.

The impeachment debate scheduled for Tuesday will be a crucial test of whether the governor can survive the mounting pressure or join the growing list of county chiefs removed from office by their assemblies.

For the motion to succeed, it requires the support of two-thirds of the assembly members – a threshold that appears easily achievable given that all 17 MCAs have already signed the petition.

The developments in Isiolo highlight the ongoing challenges facing devolved government in Kenya, where issues of accountability, governance, and gender equality continue to dominate political discourse at the county level.